Casters are great to add to a cart to make it move smoothly and easily, but what about when you stop and want the cart to stay in place, especially when you’re transporting heavy-duty applications? In instances like this, you will need brakes to hold the wheels, but what types of brakes are best suited for such needs? It certainly isn’t the casters used for your office chairs. You’ll need something that’s much more durable.
Depending on the type of caster you buy, and the application you intend to use it for, there are several different braking options to consider.Here’s some useful information about the two main categories of caster brakes and what to consider when shopping for the brake you need:
Wheel Brakes: Tread Lock Brakes or Friction Brakes?
If you need to stop the wheel from moving, then a wheel brake is what you need. There are two main ways to do this in a caster design:
- Tread lock brakes
- Friction brakes
A tread lock brake is pushed down from above and firmly holds the wheel from moving by resting against the tread of the wheel. Since the wheel tread is intended to be able to grip the floor, this is an ideal place to grip with the brake. However, the condition of the tread does affect its reliability.
The friction brakeis mounted on the side of the caster. When engaged, it will press against the side of the wheel to hold it in place. This is a well performing system since it removes the wheel tread condition from the equation for holding the wheel.
Casters for Medical Applications
Below are two casters designed for medical applications that have the brake options mentioned above:
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Medcaster Chrome Hospital
For the many different caster needs that are found throughout the hospital, these are the ideal casters. They are well equipped for use on food service, utility carts, case carts, store fixtures, institutional equipment, medical equipment and hospital equipment.
In order to add durability and strength, these casters are fabricated with a dual ball swivel raceway and a chrome plated finish. When needed there are conductive rubber models with wheel size options of 3”, 4”, 5” and 6.” These casters include a thread guard for added protection. Models come with a top lock to hold the wheel from moving and a directional lock to hold the swivel to aid in steering. Weight capacities for these casters range from 190 – 260 lbs.
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Rhombus 380 Medical Equipment Caster
In order to make these casters rust free, Rhombus uses a sturdy plastic housing of polyamide white, precision ball bearings and a robust fork head. Some of the recommended applications include intensive care beds, OP beds and hospital beds. These casters are designed so that they can be cleaned in a hospital-disinfecting cubicle.
The caster includes an integrated selection mechanism that is continually greased in the design and can operate a total locking brake and directional brake. Included in the design is an innovative locking mechanism, which provides a positive wheel lock that engages the central web of the wheel, and is therefore not reliant on friction and not dependent on tread condition. Casters are 150mm in diameter with a capacity of 185 kg.
Swivel Brakes: Directional Lock Brakes or Total Lock Brakes?
Casters come in two general types:
- Total Lock Brake (Fixed)
- Directional Lock Brake (Swivel)
Many applications need a caster that can turn for better maneuverability and mobility, but sometimes you need the swivel caster to hold it in place like a fixed caster for better steering. When you need to fix the swivel, you will want a brake for that too.
Directional lock brakes provide a type of braking that holds the caster wheel from moving and keeping the cart in a straight line. When you need this to happen at the same time as the wheel being locked, then a total lock brake is what you want. The total lock brake is a one-action brake that locks all movement of the caster with one easy step.
Here is a caster with braking option for the swivel lock:
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Shepherd Institutional Series
Shepherd Casters are NSF listed and RoHS compliant and are manufactured with a durable high strength steel construction. Brake options include PAT/PAD brakes, direction lock brakes, total lock brakes, tread lock brakes and top lock brakes. For increased caster performance there is a raceway dust cap included to prevent contamination of the caster raceway. Conductive wheels are available and provide durability, a cushioned ride, good floor protection, and chemical resistance. For excellent durability these casters come with a dual ball bearing raceway and zinc finish.
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The Colson 4 Series Caster
Any of the Colson Series Casters are designed for maximum durability. For heavy-duty applications, we recommend purchasing the top plate models. The top plate will serve as a better platform to evenly distribute the weight of the item you’re trying to move. The stem requires you to drill a hole into the item—something you might want to avoid with some pieces of furniture and/or appliances.
Douglas Equipment: When You Just Need the Right Caster for the Job
With so many different considerations of what caster brakes to choose, you may be overwhelmed by how much is out there in terms of the casters available to you. This is where the dedicated team at Douglas Equipment can help. We have been in the business of quality casters and material-handling equipment for nearly 60 years. Our knowledgeable team has learned what it takes to find the right caster for the job. We are confident that we can help you find the proper type of caster at a price that is affordable.
Call Douglas Equipment today at 1-800-451-0030. If you prefer to contact us online, one of our service team members will reply as soon as possible.
